1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a laser beam bender used in a laser beam machine composed of a combination of an articulated robot and a laser oscillator, and now particularly, to a laser beam bender capable of adjusting a reflection angle while the center of a reflection mirror is fixed.
2. Description of the Art
A laser beam machine composed of a combination of an articulated robot and a laser oscillator is widely used for metal welding or to effect a heat treatment process. With such a combination the positioning precision by the robot is thereby enhanced and the laser beam machine can be constructed by coupling a laser oscillator to a commercially available robot.
With this type of laser beam machine, it is necessary to guide a laser beam along the arm of the robot from the laser oscillator to the wrist of the robot, and accordingly, a laser beam bender for changing the direction of the laser beam must be provided midway of the path thereof.
In such a laser beam bender, a mirror holder or the like on which a reflection mirror is fixed is adjusted by using a micrometer or screw. In the laser beam benders now used, however, when the reflection angle of the mirror holder is adjusted by the micrometer, not only the reflection angle but also the mirror holder is moved linearly, and thus the center of the reflection mirror is also moved. As a result, the center of the reflection mirror must be returned to the original position thereof after the reflection angle is adjusted, but the reflection angle is changed when the center of the reflection mirror is returned to its original position, and therefore, the reflection angle must be again adjusted, and this adjustment must be repeatedly effected to finally obtain an accurate reflection angle.